Back أدب أرميني Arabic Lliteratura n'armeniu AST Әрмән әҙәбиәте Bashkir Армянская літаратура Byelorussian Literatura armènia Catalan Arménská literatura Czech Armenische Literatur German Armena literaturo Esperanto Literatura en armenio Spanish Armeenia kirjandus Estonian
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Armenian literature (Armenian: Հայ գրականություն), produced in the Armenian language, has existed in written form since the 5th century CE, when the Armenian alphabet was invented by Mesrop Mashtots and the first original works of Armenian literature were composed. Prior to the establishment of the Armenian written language, Armenians used Greek or Aramaic for inscriptions, coinage, and correspondence; Syriac was also used within the Armenian Church.[1] Additionally, a rich oral literature had long existed, fragments of which were documented from the 5th to the 8th centuries. The initial phase of its development witnessed the diversification of genres, with the 5th century recognized as its "Golden age."
The restoration of the Kingdom of Armenia in 885 held significant implications for literary endeavors. Following its decline in 1045, the Armenian state found renewed formation in Cilicia and Zakarid Armenia, emerging as a novel hub for literary advancements. From the 12th century onward, literature flourished not only in Classical Armenian but also in the Middle Armenian literary language. Throughout the High Middle Ages, literary pursuits extended to the diaspora. The 17th–18th centuries marked a period of resurgence across all Armenian literary genres.
In the 19th century, modern Armenian literature developed, with two main vernacular literary standards, Western and Eastern Armenian, replacing Classical Armenian as the main literary languages.